Cop Shop: Benefit set for little 'Beans'

Jennifer Corrado's tragic and untimely death in Prospect Park on Sunday means a 7-year-old girl will grow up without her mother.

But the little girl, whose nickname is "Beans," certainly had her mother's love.

"Jennifer lived for her daughter," said Carol Morgan, a friend of Corrado's. "She and her daughter were best friends."

As Corrado's family and friends try to understand the senseless act that took her life, they are, at the same time, circling around little Beans to show her how much she is loved.

"It's an awful situation that no child should have to go through," said Morgan, the events coordinator for the Folcroft Girls Club, where little Beans was an active member.

On Friday, the club is holding a vigil to remember the 31-year-old mother and raise money for the daughter she leaves behind.

"All the girls just want to be there for Beans," Morgan said, noting that the child has lost both parents.

The vigil will begin at 7 p.m. at the clubhouse, located behind the Folcroft Fire House on Delmar Drive.

Shirts, bracelets and ribbons will be on sale, the proceeds of which will go to the "The Beans Fund" account at TD Bank. Donations can be made at any TD Bank. There is also a PayPal link to the bank account so contributions can be made directly. The link is "beansfund13@yahoo.com."

"Beans is a big part of the girls' club, and Jen was a volunteer," Morgan said, adding that Beans was named the Most Valuable Player of the club's softball season.

"The other girls, they haven't been able to see her yet," Morgan said. "Most of the children don't know the details of what happened."

Asked about her friendship with Corrado, Morgan paused as if to collect her thoughts.

"She was beautiful on the outside," she said in a voice lowered to almost a whisper. "But inside she was even more beautiful."

Forget Tiger, make way for Jango.

In Haverford, Police K-9 Officer Douglas Linker and his partner, Jango, had the pleasure of personally meeting and shaking hands, or in this case paws, with golf legend Arnold Palmer at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, according to Correspondent Lois Puglionesi.

Linker said he was on duty when Palmer arrived around 5 p.m. for the Past Champion's Dinner at Merion Golf Club.

Despite his lofty status as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf, Palmer, accompanied by his wife, Kathleen, "came over and wanted to meet my dog," Linker said.

"I gladly introduced them to Jango. They were very nice and commented, 'What a beautiful dog,'" Linker said. "It was very nice to meet someone of his (Palmer) stature."

Linker ventured to guess that Palmer is an animal enthusiast. The golf champ has appeared in many photos with his yellow Labrador retriever, Mulligan.

Jango, a 15-month-old German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix, joined Haverford's K-9 unit in April, after completing training and certification requirements. The Police Department currently has three dogs certified and working, Linker said.

The K-9s are intended to provide "security and a deterrent, just a general presence for the event," said Linker. "If USGA has a request for something they feel the dogs can be utilized for, they'll work in conjunction with us. ... We'll provide whatever service we can."

Jango is trained for patrol work and narcotics detection. USGA has several EOD or bomb-sniffing dogs as part of the security detail for the Open as well, said Linker.

On the whole, people have responded positively to the dogs, said Linker. "They like to see the dogs. They definitely like to see our presence. They're very happy with them. Our dogs are approachable and friendly. I've had nothing but good comments," he said.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane has issued a warning for senior citizens about a spike in robocall scams pertaining to medical alert equipment. The robocalls, those pesky unsolicited pre-recorded phone messages, are designed to deceitfully obtain billing information in order to charge $35 a month for monitoring services

Kane said some of the recorded voices identify themselves as "Senior Medical Alert" or "Senior Medical Advisors." The message says the recipient of the call has been approved for medical alert equipment "at no charge." Then when someone responds, they are pressured into providing billing information so they can be charged for monitoring services.

The robocalls use scare tactics to get seniors to respond quickly, warning of a "significant rise in the number of senior citizens suffering death and serious life-threatening injuries from a delay in response times for medical emergencies, fires, burglaries or even a simple fall."

Some seniors have gotten follow-up calls from telemarketers that are even more aggressive and harassing than the first, Kane said.

The AG warns that if you get one of these calls, do not give out any billing or other personal information. Reputable companies that sell medical alert equipment don't use such aggressive sales tactics and instead provide potential customers with information about their equipment and services as well as a contract. Under Pennsylvania law, consumers have three days to rescind any contract they enter into in their home.

"Our senior citizens are prime targets for these high pressure sales tactics," Kane said. "We've got to get the word out so that our parents and grandparents aren't frightened into signing up for a service they don't need."

Kane reminds people to never give out personal, billing or other sensitive information to anyone over the telephone or online unless you initiate the call to a legitimate company. Never cash a check from an unknown source, especially if you are being asked to wire a portion of the proceeds to a stranger or someone who claims to know you or your family. Don't let emotion or fear overcome your common sense. If you get a call or online appeal for money from a friend or relative, don't react immediately. Instead verify everything.

If you believe you've been the target of a scam or any type of consumer fraud, call the Attorney General's Consumer Helpline at 1-800-441-2555.